Feds boost CitySquare budget
The Commerce Department has given the city of Worcester a $1.75 million grant to complete renovations tied to the renovation of the former fashion outlets.
The city will chip in the other half of the estimated $3.5 million price tag to reconstruct Worcester Center Boulevard and build several new streets to connect to the project. The city also plans to add a total of six intersections between Commercial, Foster, Franklin and the new streets.The project will open up foot and vehicular traffic to downtown between the east and west, where no connection exists presently.
Congressman James McGovern (D-Worcester), who helped facilitate the grant, says the project is an important development for the city and the money shows the federal level commitment to completing the project.
Deemed CitySquare, the yet-undeveloped 20.2 acre site now owned by Berkeley Investments in Boston comprises the former fashion outlets as well as property along Front St. — a total of 2.1 million square feet of commercial space.
Barbara Smith-Bacon, vice president of Berkeley, says the group is "thrilled" that the city received the money, but the grant would not affect the timetable for the project, which has been under discussion for more than two years.
City officials expect the project to create thousands of construction and permanent jobs and stimulate development in downtown.
Kenneth J. St. Onge can be reached at kstonge@wbjournal.com
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